God, Why Am I Hurting?

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)

I read that in modern gold refining, they heat the gold to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. Let’s say you could talk to the gold as the heat is going up. What would you hear? This is hot! This hurts! Get me out of here! Why is this happening? Why do I get this and silver gets off easy? Please stop this! The guy in charge of this doesn’t love me.

But the goldsmith knows that the only way purification happens is by heat and he knows that the value of that gold is drawn out and purified. Its karat content increases. Its worth is revealed and multiplied.

Peter says that your faith is more valuable than any gold. Gold perishes in the end, but saving faith is eternal. When the heat is turned up on us, we say, This hurts! Stop! There’s some mistake! Why? Why not someone else? Why me?

God’s answer is, You may not realize it, but your faith is far more valuable than your comfort. I am going to reveal it and refine it. This will be a short-term pain for a long-term gain. I don’t think this means we intentionally bring trouble to ourselves. Let God be sovereign over this. We also shouldn’t play God to other Christians. Life in this fallen world has enough fiery trials, doesn’t it?

Questions to Ask When the Heat is Up

Am I looking at this from a temporal or eternal perspective?

Do I realize trials are necessary at times and are for my good?

Is my perspective shaped by confidence in God’s sovereign and good plan for my life?

Do I want to grow spiritually more than I want to live comfortably?

Is faith refinement a personal goal? Do I aspire to a high “karat” content?

Look at the end result, “So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7)